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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27458617">Under the Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeppermintTides/pseuds/PeppermintTides'>PeppermintTides</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Splatoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>All of the others are present but in the background, Day At The Beach, F/F, Fluff, One-Shot, Pre-Relationship, The focus here is Eight and Lavender, Yearning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:20:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27458617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeppermintTides/pseuds/PeppermintTides</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Badger takes Eight and Lavender to the beach for the first time; Eight wrestles with budding feelings for her best friend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Agent 3/Original Character (Splatoon), Agent 8/Original Character (Splatoon), Badger/Peppermint (Mint Condition), Eight/Lavender (Mint Condition), Original Character/Original Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Under the Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibbulation/gifts">kibbulation</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/20640602">Piperidine</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibbulation/pseuds/kibbulation">kibbulation</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! This was written for one of my partners and is set sometime after their ongoing fanfic, Lone Pair. Eight and Lavender aren't the central characters there, but if you enjoy this and want to know more about the characters then you should absolutely read the series it's a part of, beginning with their finished story Piperidine.</p>
<p>This fic contains minor spoilers in the form of featuring characters who aren't revealed/named until later in the series, so be aware of that going in!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>If there was one thing Eight had learned since her escape from the Deepsea Metro, it was that the surface was a world filled with surprises around every corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d had plenty of time now to get accustomed to the most common aspects of life - much different in Inkopolis from what she could recall of her past life in the Octarian domes - but even after months above ground, it still felt as though there was no end to the things she didn’t know about. Each of the hundreds of neighborhoods in the city was unique, each street looked different from the last, each building held a new atmosphere to familiarize herself with. The thought that such a massive place was only a tiny dot compared to the world beyond it was almost scary to think about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As intimidating as it could sometimes be to uncover such a vast world, though, she couldn’t help feel a sense of wonder at every new discovery, and often she felt the urge to simply explore the city and see what she happened to stumble across. In a way, it felt both frightening and freeing to know that she could just get </span>
  <em>
    <span>lost</span>
  </em>
  <span> out there, that there would always be some place she’d never heard about before that she could just go and visit if she wanted to. That wanderlust had only been amplified when she’d met the Subject Ones, the group of test subjects who had likewise left the underground with even less of an idea what the world above was like; especially so when she’d befriended one member of the group in particular...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Today was a day dedicated to such exploration. Talk of late-summer activities had revealed that Eight hadn’t actually been to a beach before (well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>technically</span>
  </em>
  <span> they had landed near the city’s old boardwalk after defeating the NILS statue, but Eight certainly hadn’t been paying attention to the scenery at the time), and her friends had wasted no time in arranging a beach day so that she and anyone else interested could see what it was like. Eight wasn’t quite sure how much it would be to her liking, but it was another part of the surface she’d yet to uncover, and a day spent with the people she cared about was never a bad one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plus, well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lavender</span>
  </em>
  <span> had wanted to tag along.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of all the Subject Ones, Lavender was undoubtedly the one Eight was closest to. Peppermint was fun, sure, even if she </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> like to steal Eight’s hat as a joke, but most of the time Eight spent with her was when Badger was also around to occupy all of Peppermint’s attention. On the other hand, she and Lavender fit together perfectly; Lavender’s bubbly enthusiasm for everything around her was infectious and made Eight appreciate the surface world that much more in turn, and her constant curiosity allowed Eight plenty of opportunity to share the things she’d discovered that she found interesting. It had taken no time at all for the two of them to bond, and now it seemed they spent every other day mostly in each other’s company. It was… nice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eight thought. It was a lot </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> than nice. Truth be told, she’d started realizing recently that her feelings for Lavender went beyond just friendship - it wasn’t just that she enjoyed spending time with her, but she found herself </span>
  <em>
    <span>longing</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be with her anytime the two were apart. Something about Lavender was naturally soothing to Eight. She was endlessly patient and treated everyone like a friend; she always seemed to know what to say when something was wrong; she made even the most mundane tasks more fun to do; and darn it, Eight had to admit that she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really cute</span>
  </em>
  <span> on top of everything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the moment, Lavender was walking just a short distance ahead of Eight, in the middle of a conversation with Badger. The three were walking the short distance to Inkopolis Bay from the nearest train station, and the distant smell of saltwater was clear in the air. The scenery here was much sleeker and more grandiose than the interior city that the three of them were used to, and Lavender had found plenty of odd details to ask their more-knowledgeable friend about since stepping off the train. Eight watched with a smile as Badger explained the lush palm trees growing alongside the roads, something unique to the coastal portions of Inkopolis, until Lavender decided she was satisfied and dropped back a bit to rejoin Eight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Lavender said with a smile of her own - one that made Eight’s hearts lift in her chest as the two fell into step side-by-side. “Are you okay? You’ve been kinda quiet for a little while.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took Eight a brief moment to realize what Lavender was asking, and she quickly snapped her attention out of the mushy thoughts she’d been focused on, hoping the delay was short enough that the other girl wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss. “Um! Yes, I am okay. I was… thinking, just.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lavender tilted her head a bit at that response, but the smile didn’t leave her face. “Well, good! This part of the city is so cool… I had no idea the coast would look this different from everything else.” She gestured around energetically as she said this, and Eight quickly stifled a giggle that rose at seeing her enthusiasm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It is very nice," Eight agreed. "I cannot wait to see the beach."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Me either!" Lavender beamed. "I've been looking up pictures to know what to expect. They look so vibrant and pretty! It reminds me of you," she added, leaning against Eight's side for emphasis.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eight's eyes widened, and she could instantly feel the blush heating her face. She knew the comment was just Lavender being her usual friendly self, but for a brief moment the idea that it might mean something more made her hearts skip. She stumbled, searching for something flattering to say in kind, but only succeeded in making herself nervous. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t let her know how I feel about her. What if she thinks it’s weird and stops wanting to be my friend?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lavender evidently picked up on Eight’s sudden shift in mood and stood up straight again, which only made Eight fret more. Could Lavender tell? Was she already making the beach trip awkward? Eight’s tentacles curled and twitched anxiously until a gentle hand on her shoulder snapped her out of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Lavender said, looking at her sympathetically, “it’s alright to tell me if something </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> up. You don’t have to, but I’m here for you.” She gave Eight’s shoulder a gentle squeeze and took up leaning against her side again as the two trailed a short distance behind Badger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah… she’s so close to me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eight thought, fighting hard to regain her composure. It wasn’t like she and Lavender hadn’t woken up cuddled together on multiple occasions before following sleepovers, and yet even this simple physical contact made it hard for her to speak up. “Th- thank you, Lavender,” she finally managed, “I appreciate it. I am all fine, just… a little distracted.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lavender gently rubbed her shoulder. “Well I hope you stay fine, then. And look - I think we’re almost there!” She pointed ahead to where a simple walkway cut through a line of trees, leading out to a stretch of sand a short distance beyond. The two of them picked up their pace a bit to catch up with Badger, and together the trio walked out onto the beach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Away from the shade and shelter of the coast’s towering skyscrapers, the air became much hotter, complimented by a cool ocean breeze that kept it from being unpleasant. The shore stretched on for quite a distance in either direction, greyish-beige sand dotted with colorful towels and parasols as crowds of people played and relaxed in the sun. The distant sounds of laughter and gull cries drifted on the wind as Eight stepped onto the sand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not nearly as vibrant or colorful as all the pictures I saw,” Lavender noted, though she didn’t seem too disappointed. “I guess Badge was right when they said the photos always make things look way better than reality.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm,” Eight agreed absentmindedly, her thoughts still stuck on Lavender rather than the beach she was discussing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you guys!” Badger called out suddenly. Eight and Lavender both looked over to see Peppermint and Hatchet approaching from down the beach. Nattie walked between them, holding onto one of both of their hands, but quickly ran over to greet Lavender as the two groups drew close. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lavender stooped down to bring the young girl into a greeting hug while Peppermint quickly did the same with Badger, and Eight watched with a soft smile before remembering the sixth member of the group and giving Hatchet a quizzical look. “I did not think you would want to come to the beach,” she said, glancing at the very un-beach-like outfit Hatchet wore. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Surely the flannel jacket and cargo shorts must be hot…?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hatchet shrugged. “Didn’t, but the kid really wanted me to join in,” she said with a brief gesture toward Nattie. “Figured I would show up to make her happy. ‘Sides, she needs an adult around to keep watch over her, and I know Pipsqueak over there’s gonna be too busy staring at Peppermint in a swimsuit all day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“H- hey!” Badger cried. “I can hear you!” A bright blush covered their face, and Eight wasn’t sure if it was because of Hatchet’s teasing or because of the fact that Peppermint was holding them off the ground in a tight embrace. Hatchet just smirked at them before turning her attention to Nattie, who had finished saying hello to Lavender and was now tugging at her pant leg.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Together, the six of them headed down to the shore and set up a row of beach towels, claiming the spot as their meetup point and agreeing to all be back together in a couple of hours. They split off into separate groups then - Peppermint and Badger making their way to the water to play in the surf, Hatchet and Nattie staying closer to the towels where Hatchet could relax while she watched Nattie play - which left just Eight and Lavender unsure what to do. Eight looked over at her best friend, unreasonably anxious to suggest the two of them spend the time together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if reading her mind, Lavender spoke up. “Wanna go for a walk along the beach? I wanna see how far it stretches.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eight smiled, nodding enthusiastically. “I would l-... like to,” she said, quick to catch the </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> that nearly came out of her mouth instead. She knew the two Inkling words meant largely the same thing, but she also knew that one was much more serious and associated with romantic interest. She didn’t want to risk a slip of the tongue ruining her alone time with her crush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Lavender noticed that slip-up she didn’t comment on it, instead starting down the shoreline and gesturing for Eight to follow after. “Come on! I brought a basket for us to collect shells in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two meandered down the coast for a time together, giving a wide berth to towels and other beachgoers to avoid any accidental collisions. Lavender quickly set into telling Eight various stories about her past week. Most of them were fairly mundane - after all, with how often the two of them hung out, Eight tended to hear all of Lavender’s more exciting stories as soon as they happened - but Eight didn’t mind at all. It was nice just to listen to her, enjoying the sound of her voice alongside the gentle sweeping of the ocean beside them. The way Lavender got swept up in things as plain as going into a new store for the first time or taking a walk around the neighborhood where she and Peppermint lived held an undeniable sweetness to it, an endearing quality that kept Eight’s full attention on her even as she described a lazy afternoon in the park.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually the two reached a stretch of the beach where the crowds thinned out a bit, giving them a quieter space to walk together. For a short way they walked in silence, Lavender having run out of recent stories to share and Eight simply happy to enjoy the other girl’s company. They noticed a small flock of gulls picking for food in the sand a bit further inland, and as Lavender watched the birds, Eight watched Lavender, just the sight of her bringing her some peace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wanted to say something, to reach out and be closer, but she feared the idea of stepping over boundaries. She cared about Lavender dearly, and the last thing she wanted was to make her uncomfortable at all by being too affectionate. Still, being alone this close… she longed to wrap her arms around her crush and hold onto her, even if just for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eight closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the cozy heat bear down on her. Confusing thoughts aside, this was nice - the weather felt perfect, the lack of noise made it easier to relax, and having Lavender at her side meant she was perfectly content. She stopped walking for a moment to soak it in, taking a deep breath - and then felt Lavender’s hand slip gently into her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes shot open in surprise, and she looked to confirm what she thought; Lavender was holding her hand, watching her with a calm smile. Once again, Eight was tossed out of her brief relaxation to become a flustered mess, trying to form </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> kind of intelligible sentence while Lavender looked at her as though it was nothing. Internally, she lamented. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why did I have to get a crush on the girl who treats everyone affectionately?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lavender,” Eight began, stammering out her words. “You, um-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I, uh…” Lavender interrupted. There was an odd expression written on her face suddenly, but Eight couldn’t tell quite what it was. Embarrassment wasn’t like Lavender, so surely it must have been something else. “I just thought it might feel nice to hold hands while we walked! We don’t have to if you’d feel weird about it, though…!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eight hesitated for a moment. Could she </span>
  <em>
    <span>handle</span>
  </em>
  <span> holding hands with her crush without making it way too obvious that this was something she regularly daydreamed of? Would it be inappropriate to accept the offer when Lavender didn’t know how she felt? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Agh, I wish I could just tell her…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eight exhaled softly and shook her head, forcing herself to put on a neutral expression. “No, it is fine! You just surprised me. I do not mind if we hold hands.” Lavender seemed delighted by this answer, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and smoothly lacing their fingers together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eight thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need to tell Lavender how I feel.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She had only just realized her crush a few weeks prior, but ever since then it had become impossible to ignore. Every moment the two of them spent together, every cute or silly thing Lavender did, it all just amplified those feelings to the point that Eight had no doubt about what she wanted. If Lavender was going to continue to show her so much affection when Eight got nervous from simply standing too close together, she at least deserved to know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> her best friend was suddenly acting so out of sorts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If only she could figure out </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> to tell her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lavender…” she began, “I… it is nice to be here with you.” She tried to think of something more to add, but as soon as the start of a confession formed she lost her nerve immediately. “I am sorry I have been so strange today. I just feel very… absent-minded?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, Eight, it’s okay!” Lavender patted her hand. “I’m glad to be with you, too! You’re good company even when you’re busy thinking about stuff.” She gave a sincere smile, and Eight returned it. At least Lavender didn’t seem to be bothered by her odd behavior at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By now it was getting close to time for them to meet back up with the others, so Eight and Lavender turned to head back in the opposite direction. The pair held hands for a bit longer, but as they approached the more crowded portion of the beach again Eight let her hand fall out of Lavender’s, anxious that someone might see and assume they were a couple. Lavender paused for a moment at this but didn’t say anything, instead simply humming a tune to herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they were about halfway back, Lavender stopped suddenly and looked at Eight. “Hey, you wanna race back?” she asked with a grin. “I’m feeling energetic, I wanna see who’s faster!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eight blinked, a bit surprised at the request. “If you run, would you not drop your shells?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not if I hold them really carefully!” Lavender answered, clasping her hands around the small basket as she started to jog in place. “Come on! If we hurry, maybe we can grab some ice cream before we go back to the others.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” Eight chuckled. Lavender’s perpetual enthusiasm truly </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>contagious. “Let us go, I think I will get there first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not if I get there first first!” Lavender took off running as she said this, leaving Eight to ponder over the sentence for a moment before quickly sprinting after her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t long after that the two girls found their way back to the line of towels they’d laid out earlier in the afternoon, giggling and licking at popsicles from a nearby vendor stand. Hatchet hadn’t moved from her spot, now dozing in the shade of the parasol they’d brought while Nattie built a sandcastle a short distance away. Peppermint and Badger had returned from the water to dry off - which mostly seemed to mean cuddling together on the especially long towel Peppermint had brought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re back!” Lavender announced as she and Eight sat down in an empty spot. Badger lifted their head from its spot against Peppermint’s shoulder to give a small greeting wave, which Peppermint matched. Hatchet grumbled something and opened her eyes, blinking awake for a second before seeing the two of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Hey,” she said. “The other lovebirds are finally back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eight nearly dropped her popsicle. “H- huh?” she stuttered, her face flushed. “What do you mean?” Lavender got that strange look on her face again, fidgeting awkwardly with her own snack as Hatchet snorted out a laugh and laid back again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing. You two were gone a while.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We only walked down the beach for a while,” Eight protested, but Hatchet already seemed to be tuning her out to return to her nap. If Badger or Peppermint were paying attention to the conversation, neither of them acknowledged it, leaving the two girls to sit in a somewhat tense silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unsurprisingly, it was Lavender who first said something. She turned to Nattie, still working on her sandcastle with a plastic pail and shovel, and scooted in her direction to get a closer look. “Hey Nats, what’re you up to?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nattie looked up at the two of them as Eight shuffled over as well, raising her tiny shovel proudly. “Building a cattle!”</span>
  <span></span><br/>

  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“A castle!” Lavender repeated, subtly coaxing the younger girl toward the proper pronunciation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There aren’t many bugs on the beach, so I wanted to make them a place to live,” Nattie explained, pointing out different piles of sand she had assembled next to each other. “This one’s where the beetles’ll live, and this one’s for catapillars, and now I’m building one for spiders!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oooh. Can Eight and I help you build?” There wasn’t a single ounce of patronizing tone in Lavender’s voice, and Eight couldn’t help moving in a bit closer to her, endeared by how genuinely kind she was to Nattie. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You should hold her hand again,</span>
  </em>
  <span> a small part of Eight’s brain insisted, but she quickly shoved it aside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nattie beamed. “Yeah!” she exclaimed. “More people means more houses! You can build the one for the dragonflies, and Eight can make the one for the roly-polies! Here,” Nattie handed Eight a second pail that had been sitting beside her, and Eight and Lavender quickly picked out a spot to start working.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sandcastle - no, bug houses - they built together left much to be desired, as neither of them had much of an idea </span>
  <em>
    <span>how </span>
  </em>
  <span>to build things with sand, but what mattered more to Eight was that they were doing it as a pair. As the sun started to dip low in the sky the two of them assembled mound after mound of sand, giggling together as they chatted and decorated the tiny homes with the seashells they’d gathered. It wasn’t long before they were practically cuddled up together, Eight leaning against Lavender as the latter constructed a tiny flagpole from a stick and some seaweed that had washed ashore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eight thought once again about confessing her feelings, but with all the others within earshot, there was no way she would have the confidence. But maybe that was okay, she thought - as nervous and confused as it made her sometimes, maybe it was best not to rush into this. For now she could enjoy just getting to </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span> with Lavender, having the luxury and comfort of knowing the girl she was falling for was also her best friend. The difficult feelings could come later, when she felt good and ready to address them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For now, she already had something wonderful.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! And, of course, thanks to kibbulation for writing Mint Condition! Their writing is wonderful and certainly worthy of checking out.</p>
<p>For off-site story notifications and other relevant updates, you can find me at @PeppermintTides on Twitter.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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